Disposal of radioactive waste is a critical problem. Disposal of radioactive materials in the deep-sea bed has been studied for many years. A key advantage of deep-sea bed disposal over land disposal is the emplacement of the waste into a sediment or clay that has strong absorptive capacity for the radioactive elements likely to be released from the waste form over thousands of years.
A program has been underway for studying the possible utilization of stable, nonproductive deep ocean floor areas as repositories for high level nuclear wastes. The program is based upon a multiple barrier concept and considers a solidified waste in the form of glass contained within a canister which in turn is separated from the water column by burial in the sediment.
Sediments heated over 200 degrees C. are known to affect glasses adversely. It is further regarded that under these hot conditions the canister may be breached prematurely thereby resulting in release of radioactivity into the sediments. Thus, the above scheme considers emplacement at lower temperatures by either aging or decreasing the amount of radionuclides in the canister. However, important advantage would be gained if conditions existed that vitiated this requirement.
The invention presented herein provides a means for creating a natural barrier through the heat generated by high levels of radioactivity. The barrier formed thereby provides protection to radioactive source containment against the corrosive effects of the marine environment.